Soilarch

My state says its illegal unless disabled. The biggest disadvantage I can think of is that, for a health person, there really is no advantage. (I know that's a lowsy answer).

datamax

Soilarch - if there is no real advantage, why not allow them in archery season ? What IS the reason they are illegal ?

Bob H in NH

OK, I will bite. The only real difference between the two is the action/movement it takes to shoot it. Effective range etc, is roughly equal to a compound, infact a compound in the hands of a GOOD shooter will have a slightly longer range due to the ballistics of a short/heavy crossbow bolt.

the one major difference, is you don't have to draw it while the deer is there. This is the single hardest thing to do bowhunting. How many of us actually got to full draw the first few tries? How many of us get busted every year trying to draw? At a crossbow hearing several years ago, the Horton rep (who was pushing the deal) said the reason he switched to a crossbow was he was tired of getting caught drawing the bow. People make a counter argument about high letoff etc, but this doesn't remove the fact that you still are drawing the bow while the deer can see you.

I will admit this is a somewhat weak argument however.

Now the "real" answer. Whether or not a crossbow should or shouldn't be allowed as a weapon in archery season should be up to: the biologists. The facts are that allowing it will bring more hunters into archery season (you can debate whether it belongs there, I could care less). IF and here's the catch, the deer herd can NOT handle the deer kill being raised, then NO it they should not be allowed, just as ANY other change designed to raise the deer kill should not be allowed. In many states the deer herd needs more being shot, in some, such as NH, it can't handle it, our herd is BELOW capacity and below the F&G goals and they are trying to grow the herd and have over the last several years taken action to reduce the kill (talk about political hot potato!).

If the herd needs further reducing, then crossbows are a viable option to raise hunter numbers. Whether you add a "crossbow season" or just include them as a bowhunting weapon alternative is a different debate.

--Bob

Double Creek

I don't think it belongs in bow season. I would hate to see that happen to our public land hunting brothers. It really won't effect me either way, I hunt private and there will never be xbow on it.

The xbow in bow season is only being pushed by gun hunters. Now, if gun hunters want to give up some gun season to allow xbows, go right ahead, no problems here. But bow season should be reserved for bowhunters.

datamax

Uh ........... watch the next deer hunting show on TV. Compound shooters do not draw when the animals are in presencd, nor when they can see you. You draw when the head is behind a tree, walking away, coming in, ..... never do you draw on a deer in plain view, in a shooting position with a compound nor do you maneuver your crossbow when the deer is right there - you'll get busted everytime doing that !

So "drawing in the presence" isn't a valid argument to discount crossbows.

So you're against two season hunters ? Bowhunters should never gun hunt ? Don't the tags stay the same regardless of what weapon is used ? And isn't it true that "bowhunters" 30 years ago caved in and allowed that radical new "compounds" and afterwards the sport of archery changed dramatically - and for the better - and it changed into what archery hunting is today ?

Bu again you fail to point out even 1 negative that archery season open to crossbows would bring, haven't you ? And its a simple request really .... isn't it ?

Double Creek

If xbows were legalized in some states and gun hunters turned out in droves to use the xbow during archery season, deer numbers would decline, therefore resulting in either restrictive limitations, shortened seasons, or banning of archery season all together. Xbows could potentially be the downfall of archery season as we know it. It all depends on the response from the gun hunters.

No, in MS you get 2 extra does with the bow. Also, tags are based on deer numbers, when number start declining, so do tags.

I think bowhunters need to stand up and fight this. What's next, muzzleloaders during bow season? You midwestern states better take notice, or soon the guns will be blasting during the middle of the rut, like they do down here.

kevin1

Indiana allows it's bow hunters to hunt with their bows during both of our firearm seasons(shotgun and ML) , crossbows are not allowed for deer hunting during our early archery season , neither are guns . Anyone who could call that fair is undoubtedly a bow-only hunter or very close to it . Ironically , while our regs won't call xbows "archery equipment" you can't hunt with one unless you have an "archery" tag if you're after deer or turkeys .

I can't think of a single negative about them .

datamax

How many states allow crossbows ? Has what you fear EVER happened in those states ? Ever ? If not, then you have no factual data to back your fear up and in fact, you'll have proven its an unfounded fear. Crossbow legalization WILL result in more hunters ....... and thats a good thing. But so many more that archery season is reduced ?

Let me ask you this. Next year in your state for some reason theres tens of thousands more compound shooters. And the next year your G&F shortens arhcery season because of the impact of all those extra compound shooters. Will you lobby for taking compounds out of archery season ?


A silly assumption. A muzzleloader is a weapon that uses loose powder and ignition to propel a bullet. thats not archery, is it ?

www.m-w.com

2 : a weapon that is made of a strip of flexible material (as wood) with a cord connecting the two ends and holding the strip bent and that is used to propel an arrow


That is what a bow is.



-=========


Still waiting for one little Fact that says crossbows in reg archery season = bad things. Its hard, isn't it ?

Cougar Mag

This is not a valid question because what you are asking can be asked about any weapon. Could I find a negative using a longbow, recurve, compound, crossbow, shotgun, rifle, muzzleloader, spear, throwing knife, powerful slingshot using steel projectiles, blowgun, etc. So using those examples, any of those weapons could be lethal if the user is proficient with them. Why not allow any weapon that someone can kill a deer with into archery season or firearms season or both? Why don't we just put all the weapons together and have one season..........anything goes?

Data, from the amount of posts and time you spend on crossbows, its obvious you want to use a crossbow in a state that currently doesn't allow it unless the user is handicapped. I have also read posts from some that say its selfish not to allow crossbows in archery season. Is it not also selfish on a person's part to want to use a weapon, well, just to use that weapon because that is what they wish to use?

Cougar Mag

A crossbow is a weapon that has a stock, a trigger, is not hand held and drawn. Thats not archery is it?